Bittersweet
by Masaka-hime
Summary: This story is mainly centered around Duo, his past, future, and how he deals with it. Bittersweet is about how a soldier deals with life after war, trying to find the peace that the world has finally found. Rated for language.


Authors notes: hey minna-chan, it's me, Masaka-Hime, the impossible princess! Ahem, anyways, this is the first chapter of my story, Bittersweet. I've made two outlines, and I don't know which one I want to use for this prologue/first chapter, both story outlines are TOTALLY different, one being a crossover and this one being purely Gundam wing, so I might just make two stories. This story is my baby, so be kind in your reviews, but tell me the truth too. Anyways, enjoy, Ja!  
  
Disclaimer: I was thinking of putting one of those witty (albeit corny to some people) disclaimers, but decided on the traditional instead. *ahem* (prepares professional tone) I do not own Gundam Wing, the series and characters are owned my their respective owner(s). I have borrowed these characters without their permission.   
  
Story referral: well, I saw someone doing this, and there are just so many great writers out there who deserve recognition. So, the story referral for this chapter will be Broken Wing by Sailorcelestial! It's my favorite story of all time, and its finished so you don't have to wait for new chapters. Also, read the sequel, Mended Wing, it's not finished yet, but its still worth waiting for!  
  
"Listen to the MUSTN'TS, child,  
Listen to the DON'TS  
Listen to the SHOULDN'TS  
The IMPOSSIBLES, the WON'TS  
Listen to the NEVER HAVES  
Then listen close to me--  
Anything can happen, child,  
ANYTHING can be."  
~~Shel Silverstein  
  
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Bittersweet  
Chapter one  
'202 . . . 203. . . 204. . . 206. . . Kami! This guy is inhumane!' Hilde, never one to be sneaky, was just on the outside of the doorway, half shadowed by the minimal light coming through Duo's window were the sun was almost past the horizon. She was currently counting the pushups of her shirtless housemate. He was past two hundred, showing no sign of stopping, and that was only how many she had counted since she had been at the door!   
  
Even after two years of peace after the Eve wars, Duo still couldn't bring himself to believe that the world was really at peace. Of course, he'd never directly told Hilde, or anyone else, but she new it deep inside. I mean, what man would work out this much as a daily routine!! Oh, she knew the routine, after a long day working with the sweepers, Duo would go on a looong run, how far, she didn't know. Next, he would come home, and do Kami-sama knows how many pushups, crunches, and pull-ups. Next, he would go into the spare bedroom, which he had set up as a gym, and do some sword play with an imaginative opponent. He had started learning Swordsmanship shortly after the eve wars, and he was getting quite good at it. Who knew he could concentrate on something besides food and women? Actually, although he was none to some of the ex-pilots, namely Wufei, as an ecchi, he seemed less experienced with the opposite sex than most guys his age.   
  
Well, anyways, his workout was definitely not that of a man during peace. He usually finished the day by taking a shower, and passing out before he even hit the pillow.  
  
He was 18 for Kami's sake! He should be having fun, doing what everyone thought he would do after the war. But for some reason, after the war, he just couldn't get used to the freedom. He'd always lived under pressure, he was used to other people having control over his freedom; whether it be the war, his harsh childhood, or that onore of a doctor. He'd always been the comic relief of the five-gundam pilots, or that was what she had perceived of the little time she had spent with all of them together. He still seemed to be that same guy, but there was a darker side to him, sometimes she would catch glimpses of grief flood his eyes, but he would always snap out of it, pasteing on a fake smile. And then there were the nightmares. The walls of their apartment were thin so most nights she could here him when he cried out. Sometimes it almost scared her, thinking about what he could possibly be seeing in his dreams.   
  
Although he seemed to be at peace with his past, and what was to become of his future to other people, she knew differently, and she was going to make it her mission to help him find his peace. Although their relationship was strictly platonic, she still cared about him, as a friend of course.   
  
Her knowledge of his past was sketchy at best. From what she knew, he had not had a pleasant life. The beginning of his past resided somewhere on the L2 colony. His parent had died when he was a child, with no name and no past, then he had been taken in by a pick-pocket gang of some sort. Somehow, she guessed by the death of the gang, he had been brought into an orphanage at a church called the Maxwell church. She guessed that that was were he got his last name and the priest outfit that he wore constantly as a boy, which he had grown out of by now. She guessed he had picked up his first name somewhere around this time, because after the Maxwell Massacre, which again killed everyone he knew, he became a gundam pilot, how, she did not know.  
  
She knew the horrors of war, but nowhere close to the magnitude of death that Duo had seen. Being an ex-gundam pilot could really damage a persons mind, but in Duo's short lifetime, he had seen enough death to proclaim himself as Shinigami. Although it seemed he picked the name as a joke, she, always the cunning one, had read between the lines. To his own war-ravaged soul, he had noticed the trend; he believed that wherever he came, death followed. Thus, the satiric nickname.   
  
'Ah, finally he's done. . . *sigh* now he's moved onto the crunches. . .' by now, it had reached eight o clock. She took another glance around what she could see of Duo's room, it was orderly kept, which surprised her to no end when they had first moved in together. She had always pictured him as the messy type, but again she'd realized how little she new about him. Duo's bed sat to one side, the headrest just barely in her line of sight. The bed sheets were a dark blue, as was the carpet, the curtains, and the lamp, which was not turned on. Duo was lying on his back in the middle of his room, a thin sheen of sweat covering his chest and upper arms, along with his face. After two years off of the hormone suppressants that Dr. G had put him on so that he would not grow out of the cockpit of Deathscythe, he had grown into his body. Although he was a far cry from any professional body builder she'd ever seen, he was toned to perfection, and had started to show some of the strength that he had always possessed. He had also grown a few inches taller. Although his appearance had changed somewhat, his eyes were still a youthful cobalt blue, almost violet, and his hair was still always in his trademark braid, now reaching to the back of his knees.   
  
'Maybe I'll interrupt him, he looks like he could use a good meal, working out in the dark cant be normal.' Finally stepping into the room, she opened her mouth, but Duo beat her to it.  
  
"Having fun watching me workout Hilde-chan?" Hilde cursed his training before continuing to speak.  
  
"If you'd known I was their the whole time Duo-kun, why didn't you just tell me?" still doing his crunches, Duo made himself look thoughtful for a moment before answering.  
  
"Truth is, I hadn't realized you were there till I'd just about finished my pushups, never knew you could be so stealthy, Hilde. It makes me wonder, how many other times you've been watching me when I didn't know it?' Duo's eyes were filled with mirth as he finished his crunches and moved to the pull up bar. Because of Duo's parentage, he rarely used honorifics.  
  
Although Hilde was never one to blush, her face flushed slightly at his intend in his last remark.   
  
"Hey, I may be stealthy, but you're the ex-gundam pilot. I shudder to think how many times you've watched me when I didn't know it." Duo laughed at this, before retorting.  
  
"Well, you know me, as Wufei used to put it "I'm a hormone-driven-braided-baka." At this Duo began his pull-ups.   
  
After the last war, Duo had seen less and less of his former comrades. The only gundam pilot he really kept in contact with was Quatre. Quatre had finally taken his rightful place as heir to the Winner Corporations, his Maganac lackeys still nipping at his heels. He called from time to time, and whenever he was on L3, were the sweepers were located, he would visit, although those visits were becoming shorter and far between. Trowa had gone back to the circus shortly after the war to be with his sister. Through Quatre, Duo had learned that he was doing well and that he had finally found were he belonged. He also learned what his real name was, Triton Bloom. Duo tried to contact him a few times, but because the circus was constantly moving, Duo eventually gave up. Wufei was the biggest surprise of all. Duo never pictured Wufei as a Preventer, and working along side an onna of all things! But, then again, Wufei could never be anything but a "protector of the Weak," so it was either a bodyguard, or Preventer. Hirro had just simply disappeared. It was rumored that he was working as sort of a "secret agent" for the Preventers, helping put out "fires" and all that, but rumors were just that, rumors.   
  
Duo shook himself out of his reverie to listen to what Hilde had bee talking about for the last few minutes.  
  
". . .And theirs this great restaurant down near 23rd street, its not in the best part of the neighborhood, but I've heard they have great pizzas. . ." Hilde looked at him as if expecting an answer.  
  
"Huh?. . .Oh yeah! Sure, sounds good, let me just get changed and take a shower."  
  
"Good, you smell." Although he really didn't, Hilde plugged her nose and walked out of the room.  
  
"I do?" he lifted his arm and sniffed. Hilde's laughter could be heard as she walked down the hallway to her room.  
  
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Authors notes: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I'm not used to writing anything that isn't sci-fi or magical, but o well. Anyways, I'm still confused on where exactly this story is going, anyone have any ideas? Review Review Review!! I love your feedback, and don't be afraid to embellish a little! Just kidding, be truthful, but not harsh ^.^  
@---{-------  
Masaka-hime 


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